w1lla wrote:Centralization of news concerning TM2 to facilitate research Feel free to participateThe system requirements to run the game:

Hylis wrote:We are working harder than ever to make it work on smallest graphic processor as possible.

Sure it could be nicer on bigger, but it is quite nice and at a very good framerate on little configuration. It is even hard to believe (but obviously, we have too, since we did it ourselves ) our test map in TM² runs at 50-60 fps on a Acer Revo that I bought one year ago. It does not mean it will at release or multiplayer, but we think it is even faster than Nations.

Hylis wrote:We want to make a perfectly running DX9 version, in order to be supported by the maximum number of hardware at really high performance. If we do a DX11, it will be as an update later.

Hylis wrote:

pod.Gameurs wrote:I return to the point of fifteen environments:

-The game folder will end up containing 40GB? -Specific environments? (Drift / Free, I know that this community expects to see much more than race) -Themes such extravagant as Moon / Toon will be available too?

for now, it is 9 environments, 3 TM2. So this will be 'wise' surface. we are looking carefully at drifting and stunts to see, even though it's not obvious. Maybe we should make a block powerdrift to avoid forcing players to learn how to drift.

Hylis wrote:(...)Fix is working on rendering quality that could improve again the graphics and we have just decided to split the new effects into two level of quality so it could work on lower end machines but also be more impressive on higher ones.(...)

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Titles (environments) sold separately at three months intervals:

Hylis wrote:The business around maniaplanet should be simple. We expect to sell each 'Title' (one environment for a game, like TM² Canyon for example) separately at a reasonable price. All the titles could be use independently but they combine themselves into a single place: maniaplanet.

In fact, it is likely that users will buy planets (the new name of coppers in maniaplanet) With it, they would be able to acquire the different titles. This part is being worked out but it is quite close to what we did with coppers capable of buying TM United.

And to answer haenry, DLC for me is when a content is necessary to fill a space that exist virtually in the game. By making separate environments, I feel it is less like DLC, but more like separated content or standalone add-ons if you prefer. In fact is also content, but not here to complete an already existing one, but to add to it.

Zooz, our minimal plan is for nine environments and current ambition is for fifteen. We will adapt to the situation anyway. There could be more or there could be less.

Hylis wrote:the price of each title will be independent. You can see this as smaller game release more often. The goal is to make a continuous release. If we release three environment in the year, at 19€90 each for example, then it would make you pay 59€70 each year for the three different environments and getting at the same time the online and engine evolution. And if you prefer only TM² and QM, for example, you can take only two and it will cost you less.

Hylis wrote:The idea is to release around three titles per year, one for each game. I would like to see one TM², one SM and one QM environment each year. Now, this is more like the general idea. We may do less if there is too much work on each, or may be more if we have a better production capacity (it is really not linked to the number of people only, but the quality and ability to be more while keeping deepness)

so, this year, we want to release two title: one TM² and one SM, and ideally, we would like to release three titles next year. But now that we are well advanced on the first TM², we have to work a lot on the first SM.

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link between the three games ?

Hylis remains unclear about this

Hylis wrote:

Ancestroll wrote: Maniaplanet: a name to describe a universe tying three video games.

Can you imagine that three so different games come together after a while? Can we suggest that their contents will be "complementary"?

So many questions no answers. Just a picture (above) which is so simplified "Maniaworld.

And you, what do you think?

is mainly used to symbolize that mania is at the center of it all. Basically, MT is a car and physics and a shooter is not much more

Hylis wrote:

insomnia wrote:Another question: We heard, MP will unite the community of all three games/genres. But how united are the games itself, so to bring it to the point:Will it be possible to create game servers with TM2, QM and SM maps on it at the same time? (so switching game modes between the maps, like environments, time attack mode or deathmatch mode with time limit assumed))

Florent?

Don't know yet. In fact, either we 'impose' a way where everybody can play every server (it will limit all servers to one environment, but could offer players to jump more simply from one to another -like a follower group-) OR we leave it up to the players to organize whatever they prefer: welcome everybody by using only one env or making a crazy mix for them and some of their friends. We'll see

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environments:

Hylis wrote:

BLaHiTiS wrote: great environments. So do I see that you can use each evnironment in night time as well ? It kinda looks like snow reinvented

"yes", for track and shoot, the four moods are available.

For TM² and SM, the four "moods" (Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night) are effective.

(New)

Hylis wrote:(....)We had stop to work on the september 2009 environment, Valley, because it was too difficult to push this environment to the end from first try. This is why we decided to start with Canyon instead of Valley and use the car of it that is more appropriate for the american style desert.(....)

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Import blocks:

Hylis wrote: we are supporters of static blocks. In addition, the lighting is better ... because otherwise I will not tell you the framerate.

in fact, for importing blocks, there will probably collada format blocks and examples. It will be possible to make a different geometry but if you want to add a texture, it will make a texture daughter of an existing and add a mod. It is the parent who will be used if the player did not mod. The geometry will be integrated into the challenge, the service guarantees so that all the maps will be playable without broken link.

materials will be in number and effect presets, and I do not think this is a bad thing. We can expand the list with updates in case, but his number should rather be done.

level building blocks, will be rather in-game software or software exter type Blender

Hylis wrote: rather type blender in my opinion. After perhaps an edition simplest piecewise could exist in another tool (preferably external, so we focus on the rest) but it's not too objective. Either people really want to model a block from an example, it is better not to pretend. It sure is hard, but we think it's better than doing full levels: mrgreen:

Hylis wrote:I think I already explained this. The geometry is superbly compressed in the track or replay file. For each texture you use in your block, you should select a default texture from the original set of texture in case your additionnal textures are missing. This way, all the challenges are always playable/replayable. Now, the size of the tracks could become quite bigger if changes too many things, but that's a little like loading your track with too many blocks. We have time to see what happen in that case, but that's not the best use of the system I think. It is better to have variations than extreme and total makeover made by the community to start with. An environment is too much work that also requires a lot of experience and management. So, this scenario is not our primary target.

Hylis wrote:In fact, the solution will come from the practical aspect. My opinion is that we must leave it to players at the moment they start playing, and they will organise themselves well (if we give them the suitable filters) I thought of a solution which consists of two extremes: either one environment only, either to those who have all environments. But it would unnecessarily be criticized. Because in practice, I think that is what may have: single Environment players, or those wishing to play at all of them, at least occasionally.__________________________________

TM2 and eSports :

Hylis wrote: To Nadeo, the eSports is very important, and I think it was well proved with our dedicated development, or even a complimentary color in a race. I still believe in eSports and its positive future. It is a way of bringing people of all countries, or those of the corners. With online, it's even a highly effective way to do it at lower cost to the players.

Hylis wrote:

wells. wrote:Cool. So do you think that TM2 and SM will have their places on the eSport scene ? And what about TMNF which has a big place now on eSport ?

Yes, they will have all their place. But the question is how big and which ones bigger than others.

Time is the answer. Take the TrackMania history and look where we ended. Think maniaplanet the same way. We will start somewhere, in some time, and will see things evolve from there. Maybe we will do a Nations 2, maybe we will not. I don't need a petition for it in order to think to it. But today, it would be useless to do it. If players want to do esport on Nations, the game is good enough in that respect, and it is not a hotkey or customizable interface that would make it a revolution.

So, we are always looking after competition because that's what action multiplayer games are often about at the highest level.

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Collisions in TM2?

Not between cars.

Hylis wrote:For years we know what we would if we integrate the collision, but we do not because you have more important things on our list. Like for example make a good fps and good rpg.

(New)

Some kind of car damage seems to be in the game, as we can see in the second screenshot of TM²:

As you can see the car's paint is scratched and the bumper is hanging down on the left side.So, no collisions between cars, but colliding with environmental elements seems to cause damage to the car.More info will surely follow, the pic will be updated once the puzzle has been finished (more info about the puzzles at the bottom of this post)

Hylis wrote:Our plan with ManiaScript is to design a game oriented language. That means it should know how to manage savegames, real time, interface and networking with relative ease. It has to be able to evolve. There is a lot to do in this domain but we advance slowly and surely.

Hylis wrote:To give an example, the first maniascript we realised internally is a game of spider (the card game) that starts when we enter a certain zone and quits when we get out of that zone.It's kinda stupid, i know __________________________________

Ergonomics and content management :

refresh wrote:It would be really valuable to have a real content management in ² TM, SM and QM:to manage maps, cars, skins, blocks and other additional content directly in the game

Because now you can just add content through the game, but we can not move, delete, rename, create folders ... It would be really nice because that's what I've done a hell monster in the track editor: I never think of going to sort all this in Windows before launching the game: you do realize that it once we have the editor under the eyes.And even then ... It would be much more practical and "user-friendly!

Hylis wrote:@refreshI am not certain that it will launch. Maniaplanet will then evolve to make it more comfortable using a certain system.

Refresh wrote:It would be really appreciated to have a real data management system in TM², SM and QM:To be able to manage the maps, the skins, the blocks and every other content directly in the game.Because right now we can only add things in the game, but we can't move, erase, rename nor create folders...It would really be nice because that is what made a mess in my track editor: I never think of ordering everything in Windows before starting the game, one only starts realizing it once in the editor.Even, it would be practical and user friendly.

Hylis responds:I'm not certain that will be included at launch. ManiaPlanet has to evolve to make certain applications of the system more comfortable to use.__________________________________

The Map Editor:

Hylis wrote:(....)Olivier is working on the track editor (making a selection, copying it or saving it, moving it).Jseb just included light information in map files in order to guarantee each player to have it.Stephen, Massimo and Bertrand are working on a new road, wall ride, ramps and tunnels at the moment.(...)

So we finally will be able to select more than one block, and move it, copy it or save it.That was one big thing missing in previous editions, and will allow builders to work faster and more efficient.Light information in map files will help people with slower pc's to reduce loading times and prevents calculation errors client side.And we will get new building blocks! We can't have enough of them __________________________________

Game Console Versions?

(New)

Hylis wrote:We are focusing on PC at the moment.

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Is there anything known about a release date yet?

Hylis wrote:It is unfortunate, since we really want to get into the action with the players, but there are many things to prepare on many sides. When I wrote Q4 2010 at E3 time, I really believed it. The game is well playable at the moment. The team is working on making more blocs (they take more time to do than original ones!) and still on making the maniaplanet application. This application is quite simple, but it needs some arrangements in order to welcome all the update that we want to do afterward.

There are two things I would like to insist on:1. I don't want you to think that we are adding a lot of features.Our goal at the moment is really to make only what is needed. Like I have read somewhere: something is perfect when you can't remove more, not when you can't add more. That's the spirit and our goal at the moment. We target a pure fun game at the moment. After, the players activities will tell us where to expand.

2. I don't want you to think that we are losing our timeWe are moving fullspeed! All the team is working hard and is really concentrated on a daily basis. And with all the experience of the team, we are making the right choices to make things quickly but solid enough for a big future of maniaplanet.

Even with this two parameters, we have a lot of work. When we announced TrackMania 2, our plan was to first release one full game. Now, we have added ShootMania and QuestMania to take care but also the maniaplanet application and servers. So, things takes more time. For example, I still have to decide if I will include the splitscreen mode and the block import at first release. The engine is done to welcome both features, but the interface are to be done. My idea is that since we want to release three TM² environments, we may use those occasions to update the game with these features.

(New)

Hylis wrote:The dates I am giving were always sincere. The Q4 2010 for the beta was a real one, but after some months, I wanted to make the gameplay model even more solid, the graphics even better and to make some blocks for both of it based on this thougts. Meanwhile, we were improving the ManiaScript speed and stability since it is difficult to make too many evolution on a scripting language once code is started to be wrote on it. I have spent some 'weeks' in meeting and setting up the publishing internally. This is also how we are able to launch this normally this month (Note: today is April 8 2011) , with upcoming printed press articles combined with community priority reveal

The weeks after E3 (Note: E3 Expo = June 7-9, 2011) is serious, but if we have some new discovery on ShootMania, we may prefer to wait a little to overcome the new challenges, instead of launching maniaplanet and do that at the same time. I feel we are on a great path at the moment, but if there is a new great ideas that has to be done before the first release in order to make it possible, I would have to make a choice. It is far from simply releasing a game, it is releasing an operating system that should enables players to create in it, but also support evolution from us. Also, making an online system that handles the maniaplanet system, instead of three separate games, is a development we had to make before the beta of TM².

Anyway, I hope you will appreciate the quality of the work as soon as possible!

(New)

Hylis wrote:Until mid-june, we reveal the gameafter, we start talking about the beta

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Are there images available yet?

(New)

Screenshots are being assembled by the community at the moment.Nadeo has found a very original way to share the first screenshots.Every time a player starts up TMUF, he receives a piece of a puzzle.After assembling these pieces, a screenshot appears.The community is working together hand in hand, throughout all nations of the world to acquire all the pieces and complete the puzzles.The first screenshot/puzzle has been finished:

The second picture is done too:

Click the pictures for the hi-res versions.

The third pic is being assembled at the moment, please help the community by posting your pieces here.Kimi has made a wonderful ManiaLink to help getting all pieces together, click here for more info.__________________________________

Hylis wrote:TrackMania United Forever, fruit of the union between TM "red box", its 2 add-ons, Sunrise, its add-on, the game TrackMania Nations and finally the add-on Forever and all tracks together that it can play, including the ones from 2003 will remain under the name TrackMania 1.

ManiaPlanet is a new start that will break backwards compatibility to a certain level, we could have kept it with some extra effort, but then we would have been forced to maintain that compatibility for many years to come.

Never the less, we have just made a new dedicated server for the game (TMF) and certain new online systems are still developed in compatibility with that, like the recent ManiaLive, an open source server controller, and ManiaHome, which lets gamers receive notifications about the actions of their buddies on the ingame web system.

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